Tag: Book blog

Book Review: Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) by Susan Dennard

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult fantasy
Length: 415 pages
Author: Susan Dennard
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: January 5th, 2016
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery,” a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

FINISHED STRONG.

I know I know, I can’t believe I haven’t read this series yet either. A few years ago I chose the Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes over this one (which side note: was WONDERUFL). Then Truthwitch sat there…until it didn’t. I nabbed the audio book from the library and dove right in.

Things started off a bit slow and confusing. This often happens to me with fantasy books + audio books. So after I got a few chapters in and understood the story and characters things coasted much more smoothly.

I looooove that this had a heavy focus on the threadsister bond between Safiya and Iseult. They were an amazing combo who continually looked out for one another and truly love each other. I thought they were a great duo who brought out the best sides of themselves when they were together.

There’s an amazing world being set-up with grey characters who I can’t decide what level of evil anyone is. MY FAV. Keeps things interested and keeps me intrigued. I found that the action picked up a good pace and yet, there were still those slower moments where I got to see another level of the characters. The magic system is really interesting and I love the way that witches are portrayed in this series. I like that there’s so many different types of them and that the magic makes sense for the world too.

The other two POVs, Merik and Aeduan were stellar too. Everyone had there own roll to play and I loved switching up the point of view and getting all the angles. Merik is swoon-worthy and I am pushing the Safiya and Merik ship off the shore. I adored their interactions and the way things progressed between them. There’s definitely a spark that will ignite the world by the end of this series. Aeduan, our grumpy Bloodwitch was one of my personal favorites. Sassy and angry with the ability to help others while hunting down witches. Yup, I’m here for it. And I can’t wait to see what happens between him and Iseult.

Clearly, I am smitten with this book. I can’t wait to read book two and see where this story moves too. The ending left things nicely open without being a total cliffhanger.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: some mild throughout
  • Romance: kisses/make-outs
  • Violence: magical, physical, swords, poison, arrows, skirmishes

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Book Review: Chosen Champion (Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles #2) by Elise Kova

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Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: YA Fantasy romance
Length: 312 pages
Author: Elise Kova
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Release Date: May 1st, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A princess on the run, with enemies on all sides…

Vi Solaris is on the eve of getting everything she’s ever wanted—her family, her home, her throne—and to save the world she’s going to have to give it all up.

The Empire sees her as their Crown Princess, returning at long last. But Vi only sees visions of fate guiding her to the world’s gruesome end. Across the sea is a man who holds the keys to deciphering her premonitions and thwarting the ancient evil ravaging their world. But to get to him, Vi will have to contend with enemies of the crown, romance she didn’t expect, sorcerer pirates, and a betrayal she never saw coming.

She will learn the hard way that some evils never die… They only bide their time…

I LIKED THE BEGINNING AND THE END.

But what happened in the middle? Nothing. That’s what happened.

Started off strong with Vi getting to FINALLY see her family again, YAY. I was so excited to see Vhalla and her brother Romulin. I was mostly on bored with Vi’s decision to leave her family so she can save her nation, but when she started that journey I got lost in the bogged down story.

I didn’t think it was going to take the ENTIRE book to get Vi from one place to the other. There was a lot of time spent with her travelling with Jayme and finding a ship, getting to the other continent, etc. I could have done with half of that cut out and actually getting her real story started (which is what I’m hoping book three will give me).

Still working on being a total shipper of Taavin and Vi. They’re not the enemies to lovers store that Vhalla and Aldrik had and there’s been a lot less barriers to a relationship between them so I haven’t felt the tension that I love in a romance. Now that I’ll get to see them in the same location I’m hopeful that I will love them.

Definitely had a moment where I yelled CALLED IT (and I had been calling it from book one). What a twisted moment that was when all heck literally broke loose. Got to see Vi break out of her shell, use her magic, and destroy some things. IT WAS AWESOME.

Don’t worry. I’ll keep reading this series. This book may have read like a true middle book unfortunately, but I love Elise Kova’s writing too much to not keep going.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult fantasy romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: some kisses
  • Violence: physical, magic, ship wrecks, plague sickness

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Book Review: All the Stars and Teeth (All the Stars and Teeth #1) by Adalyn Grace

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult fantasy
Length: 384 pages
Author: Adalyn Grace
Publisher: Imprint
Release Date: February 4th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She will reign.

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer—the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder—and more peril—than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.

Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice, Adalyn Grace’s All the Stars and Teeth is a thrilling fantasy for fans of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval and Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series.

A SOLID DEBUT.

I sat on buying this book for awhile, but I finally convinced myself that this was going to be a good read and that I would want the sequel. Hallelujah, I WAS RIGHT.

This was a beautiful debut that had all the hallmark notes that I love about YA fantasy. Daring action and adventure, a sweet romance, a sassy crew and a villain who’s mind has been twisted by his own fantasies. YUP. All here guys.

I was nervous with the amount of info dumping that happened in the first few chapters. I didn’t want the entire book to be this way. Once an understanding of the magic system and islands was laid out there the story significantly increased in pace and ease of knowing which place was where. There’s a lot of info here (with a smattering of islands to keep track of). Yay for book maps that help keep everything separated.

The crew that Amora embarks with to help save her kingdom was the best. I loved having the pirate Bastian, ex-fiance Ferrick and mermaid Vataea. It was a great mix of banter, flirtations, honest moments, and a found family all its own. The romance between Amora and Bastian made me smile. It grew well over the time period, never rushed into anything, and I felt the heat brewing between them. The way things wrapped up leave a lot to interpretation for the second book. I’m hoping my HEA is in the midst.

I really liked this villain. Sometimes I feel YA villains are a bit laughable and not corrupted enough for me to feel invested in the story. This guy was trying to things right the wrong way and brought all the action this book needed. I was kept on my toes with the twisted magic running rampant through these islands. Definitely made me cringe at times with the descriptions (in a good way). This has an edge of darkness to it without being a dark novel.

I appreciated that the ending wasn’t a giant cliffhanger, but wrapped enough of the story line up to feel satisfied with the conclusion. I’m excited for book two and getting to see how all of these characters develop!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses/make-outs
  • Violence: magic, physical, swords, knives, poison, mythical creature attacks

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Graphic Novel Book Review: Wires and Nerves (Wires and Nerves #1) by Marissa Meyer

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult fantasy graphic novel
Length: 238 pages
Author: Marissa Meyer [Illustrators: Douglas Holgate & Stephen Gilpin]
Publisher: Fiewel & Friends
Release Date: January 31st, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When rogue packs of wolf-hybrid soldiers threaten the tenuous peace alliance between Earth and Luna, Iko takes it upon herself to hunt down the soldiers’ leader. She is soon working with a handsome royal guard who forces her to question everything she knows about love, loyalty, and her own humanity. With appearances by Cinder and the rest of the Rampion crew, this is a must-have for fans of the series.

LOVED THIS CONTINUATION.

Yay for my library having this book because I have been looking for a chance to continue this series! What beautiful artwork and well put together graphics. Definitely easy enough to read in one sitting and feel wrapped back up in The Lunar Chronicles.

I loved the way everyone was portrayed and that this story focused on Iko. I think she totally deserves her own book and doing it as an illustrated book was such a great idea. I love her personality and love for her friends. Iko is funny, witty, and incredibly loyal. She’s an easy heroine to love and cheer on.

Getting to see the cast of TLC again was also fantastic. I love that series and getting to have them also in this book was perfect. Those couples are just precious and I could always use more of them. Seeing Cinder as Queen and working towards a better future of Lunar was impressive. This book worked on multiple levels, tackling the story from many different pieces.

This is a cute and fun read. Highly recommend if you enjoyed the original novels to check out this book!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy Graphic Novel
  • Language: none
  • Romance: a few kisses
  • Violence: werewolf/hybrid solider attacks, guns, physical

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